A Guide to the San Antonio Chapter of Links, Inc., Records, 1954-2016

The San Antonio Chapter of Links, Inc., is a volunteer service
organization of African American women. The membership seeks to improve the
quality of life for the greater community and its members through education,
civic, and cultural activities. The San Antonio Chapter was the fifth Links
chapter established in Texas, and is one of nearly 250 chapters nationwide

The San Antonio Chapter of Links, Inc., is a volunteer service
organization of African American women. The membership seeks to improve the
quality of life for the greater community and its members through education,
civic, and cultural activities. The San Antonio Chapter was the fifth Links
chapter established in Texas, and is one of nearly 250 chapters nationwide.
Founded in December, 1960, San Antonio's fourteen charter members were: Ophelia
Aycock, Josephine Belinger, Helen Booker, Bella Cameron, Christine Clardy, Anna
Harris, Doris Horne Ellison, Vernis Hudgins, Alma Inge, Marion Johnson, Myrtle
Hurd, Julia Taylor, Lillian Storey, and Augusta Whittier.

The San Antonio Chapter is constitutionally committed to implementing
the national program facets in the local area. All Links chapters work to
improve life and the pursuit of excellence by identifying and meeting needs
through four program committees which are called Facet Committees: Services to
Youth; Fine Arts; International Trends and Services; and National Trends and
Services. The four program areas decide upon a common umbrella program under
which each program area defines goals, objectives, and activities. Under the
umbrella program themes, the San Antonio Chapter has sponsored community events
and projects geared toward health, wellness, and family improvements for
African Americans; cultural and arts affairs; women's issues; education and
scholarship; substance abuse prevention; and care of the elderly. For example,
under the "Wellness in the Black Family" umbrella theme, the San Antonio
Chapter organized several learning activities for students at Gates Elementary
School to promote healthy nutrition choices. The Links Chapter also organized
activities for young single mothers at Peacock Village to socialize and share
parenting information.

In addition to the umbrella theme activities, the San Antonio Chapter
participated in the pilot program, Project LEAD (Links Erase Alcohol and
Drugs), started in 1984. LEAD is a national program initiated to educate youth
on the dangers and downfalls of drug abuse. As a participant, the San Antonio
Chapter organized several workshops held at Martin Luther King Middle School
aimed at educating and inspiring confidence in youth to make positive choices
in their lives. The San Antonio Chapter also planned learning activities and
field trips for an after-school program called Discovery. Success of the pilot
program provided continued grant funding, enabling the San Antonio Chapter to
continue offering workshops and activities for youth through the 1990s on
topics such as self esteem and decision making.

Ongoing activities of the organization include holding monthly
meetings and regularly sending delegates to Western Area Conferences and
National Assemblies. The San Antonio Chapter largely funds its programs and
activities with membership dues. Individual members of Links, Inc. must also be
members of the Link's Foundation, the charitable arm of Links. Contributions to
the Links Foundation are used to provide monetary assistance to the United
Negro College Fund, the NAACP, and other organizations with similar goals as
the Links. In addition to these charitable contributions, the San Antonio
Chapter annually awards three scholarships to high school seniors as part of
its "Salute to Youth" program. The San Antonio Chapter also supports major
exhibits of African American artists and performing artists.

The collection is organized into the following nine series:
Administrative, Committees, Pilot Programs, Regional and
National Meetings, Publications, Awards and Certificates of
Appreciation, Photographic Materials, Scrapbooks, and Artifacts.

The organizational structure and the chapter's internal functions and
procedures are concretely documented in the Administrative series and less
extensively in the fragmentary records of Standing Committees found within
Committees. In addition, information on by-law changes for national and
regional governance are available in Regional and National Meetings.
Documentation of the organization's activities and events is prominent in
reports of the Administrative series, Facet Committee records in Committees, and
is illustrated in Photographic Material and Scrapbooks. Several
series reveal evidence of the Chapter's role within the San Antonio community
and its support of other organizations: Presidents' correspondence within the
Administrative series; Program Committee records found in the Committees
series; Awards and Certificates of Appreciation; and Scrapbooks.
Finally, the San Antonio Chapter's relations with the national headquarters,
regional area, and other local chapters is relayed in correspondence within the
Administrative series, materials within Regional and National Meetings, and newsletters within the Publications series.

Unprocessed additions to the records can be found in Unprocessed Additions and includes the Addition of August 2005 (Accession 2005-058), the Addition of April 2014 (Accession 2014-014), and the Addition of May 2017 (Accession 2017-029).

Administrative

Series Abstract

This series offers the most insight into the organization's
history, structure, functions and procedures. A highlight of the series is the
near complete set of meeting minutes from the chapter's beginning in 1960
through 1997. It also offers a summary of the chapter's activities for select
years between 1978 and 1997 in program reports submitted to the regional and
national headquarters. Organizational records, manuals, and yearbook/handbooks
are useful reference sources on the chapters' history, procedures, leadership,
and calendars. While correspondence of presidents span 1965-1997, the files are
fragmentary with the exception of Presidents Margaret Winn (1985-1987) and
Barbara Lawrence (1995-1997). The remaining correspondence provides insight
into relations with the national, regional, and other local chapters of Links.
The series also contains a strong run of financial records consisting of annual
financial reports, budgets, and treasurer and audit reports.

Committees

Series Abstract

Information on Standing Committees is very scattered, with the
most information existing for the Membership Committee. While Standing
Committees focus on administrative functions of the organization, Facet
Committees focus on implementing the organization's program activities. Records
of the four Program Facet Committees (Services to Youth, Fine Arts,
International Trends and Services, and National Trends and Services) are more
complete in coverage, particularly for the 1980s and 1990s. While only a few
Committee Reports exist for each facet, they are a useful source in
understanding what activities a committee organized, as well as the planning
and outcomes of the events. Also consult reports in Administrative Records for
documentation on Facet Committee work.

Pilot Programs

Series Abstract

Two main pilot programs are documented in the collection, the
largest of which is Project LEAD (Links Erase Alcohol and Drugs). LEAD is a
national program initiated to educate youth on the dangers and downfalls of
drug abuse. Included are records documenting the initial implementation of LEAD
in 1984 and the success of the program which resulted in its continued funding
through the mid 1990s. National program guides and curriculum manuals, as well
as planning materials for local workshops and activities for San Antonio youth
exist within this series. For related visual material and additional
information on Project LEAD consult Photographic Materials and Scrapbooks.
Materials on Operation L.I.V.E. (Links Insist Violence be Erased), is limited
to one folder.

Arranged by program and by topic thereunder.

Box

Folder

10

Project LEAD (Links Erase Alcohol and Drugs)

Pilot Grant

1

Training and cooperation workshop with Texas Dept.
of Community Affairs,
1985

Regional and National Meetings

Series Abstract

This series most clearly portrays relations between the national,
regional, and local chapters and how they cooperate across the country to
accomplish national objectives. The long run of meeting materials from Western
Area Conferences and National Assemblies span from the 1960s through 1998.
Conference materials also are strong in documenting the changes in the
constitution and by-laws, as well as election of officers, all of which take
place at regional and national meetings. Among the meeting materials are
minutes, souvenir programs, event programs, workshop handouts, delegate
reports, budgets and other financial materials of the regional and national
offices, reports of officers, and informational flyers distributed by various
local chapters of Links. For additional information on the 22nd Western Area
Conference in Los Angeles (1975), consult Scrapbooks.

Publications

Series Abstract

The newsletters are a strength of this series. Issues of both the
Western Area and national
Link to Link newsletters span the
1970s through 1990s and are an excellent source for tracking respective goals,
activities, accomplishments, and highlights of various chapter's work. Again,
this series portrays the degree of cooperation and interaction among the
national, regional, and local chapters.

Awards and Certificates of Appreciation

Series Abstract

This series consists of wooden plaques, trophy awards,
certificates, nominations, and proclamations recognizing the San Antonio
Chapter's accomplishments within the community, as well as its contributions
supporting organizations with similar service goals.

Arranged by format and chronologically thereunder.

Box

Folder

16

Plaques

1

Fred D. Patterson Award, United Negro College Fund for
Links leadership in the minority community,
1983

2

YMCA Century Club member,
1982

3

San Antonio Metropolitan Chapter TLOD, Inc.,
1985

4

Dr. Frederick D. Patterson Award for youth service,
1987

Express-News Club Project Contests

5

Second place,
1989

5

First place,
1992

6

Outstanding Support of Gates Elementary School,
May, 1991

31st Western Area Conference Awards

7

Services to Youth first place award for an exemplary
Program,
1993

7

Umbrellas program for exemplary program,
1993

Box

21

Trophy Awards

Received

In appreciation of service to Eastside Boys &
Girls Club of San Antonio, Project Lead: High Expectations,
April 22, 1992

Photographic Materials

Series Description

Encompassing photo albums, photographs, negatives, and slides,
this series provides visual documentation of activities and celebratory
functions organized by the San Antonio Chapter from new member induction
ceremonies and regional and national conferences, to workshops for elementary
through senior high school students. Many of the photographs are not
individually labelled.

Scrapbooks

Series Abstract

General scrapbooks span 1962-1985 and 1995-1996 and feature
newspaper clippings, conference materials, programs, and photographs
documenting social and ceremonial events, including the San Antonio Chapter's
25th anniversary in 1985. Also includes a topical scrapbook on the 22nd Western
Area Conference in 1975 and another on International Trends and Services
program activities from the mid 1990s. Scrapbooks should be handled with care,
as the pages are brittle and easily torn.

Artifacts

Series Abstract

This series includes a variety of souvenirs from benefit and
fundraising events, and from the San Antonio Chapter's 25th anniversary. The
most information is available from a handmade display featuring the White Rose
Extravaganza fundraiser in 1983 and a laminated display on Project LEAD pilot
activities dating 1986-1987.